Turbine pump support



1, 1935- e, E-. BIGELOW 1,86,132

I TURBINE PUMP SUPPORT Filed June 5, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l a W Mw Q on Q m m a fin A \\U //UI M NW O Y, n .m g

Jan. 1, 1935. E Bl E ow 1,986,132

TURBINE PUMP SUPPORT Filed June 5, '1929 5 Sheets-Sheet s GEORGE E. @IGE'LOW. 6v, 22/

Patented Jan. 1, 1935 TURBINE PUMP SUPPORT George E. Bigelow, Huntington Park, Calif., as-

signor of one-half to Pacific Pump Works, Huntington Park, Calif., a corporation of California, and one-fourth to Arthur ,R. Weis, Huntington Park, Calif.

Application June 5, 1929, Serial No. 368,547

6 Claims.

My invention relates to pumps, and more particularly to a centrifugal pump adapted to handle high temperature fluids.

In my application filed April 17, 1928, Serial No. 270,644, of which this application is a continuation in part, there is disclosed a pump which finds particular utility in the petroleum refining art wherein it is necessary to pump hot oil against high pressure heads. Pumps commonly used in this capacity are built in a vertical position, thus giving rise to' lubrication difliculties as well as requiring a large difference in elevation between the pumps and the stills and accumulators to which the pumps may be connected. Heretofore, expansion difliculties have prevented the use of horizontal hot-oil pumps.

It is an object of my invention to provide a pump adapted to handle fluids at a high temperature in which the expansion of the various parts will not interfere with the operation of the pump.

The expansion of the pump shell is not always symmetrical about the axis of the impeller shaft because of inequalities in the casting or differences in the degree of pressure with which the two sides of the pump shell are fastened to the base or sub-base. It is'obviously important that pedestals of U-shape whereby the surface of contact between the pedestal and the pump body is only slightly below the axis of the pump shaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel fluid-cooled pedestal.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings,-

Fig. 1 is a side view of the preferred form of my invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are detailed views taken as indicated by the corresponding lines of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 5 is an alternative form of my invention.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional views taken on the corresponding lines of Fig. 5.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, I have illustrated a pump unit 10 providing a massive cylindrical shell in the form of a heavy cylinder 11 of substantially uniform wall thickness enclosing a number of impeller sections 12, the ends of this cylinder being closed by intake and exhaust heads 13 and 14 suitablysecured thereto as by bolts 15, this structure defining an enclosing structure-for the pump. An intake pipe 16 communicates with the intake head 13 and hot oil is drawn therethrough by a series of impellers 17 mounted in impeller chambers defined by the sections 12 in the pumpunit 10, this hot oil being discharged through a discharge pipe 18 communicating with the exhaust head 14. The impellers 17 are mounted on a pump or impeller shaft v20 which is journalled in bearings 21 and 22 respectively connected to the outer ends of the intake and exhaust heads 13 and 14.

The pump unit 10, its attached heads 13 and 14, and the bearings 21 and 22 cooperate in defining a pump body 25 which is supported on supporting surfaces 26 and 27 defined respectively by primary and secondary pedestals 28 and 29. The surfaces 26 and 27 engage corresponding engaging surfaces 30 and 31 defined by primary and secondary sets of arms 33 and 34 extending outward from the intake and exhaust heads and forming a part of the pump body 25, as best shown in Fig. 4. .In the preferred form of the invention the supporting surfaces 26 and 27 are only slightly lower than the axis of the shaft 20, this distance being usually in the neighborhood of three inches or less.

Formed in the walls of each pedestal is a groove 38 into which extends a fin 39 extending' downward from the head thereadjacent. This fin is preferably in vertical alignment'with the axis of the shaft 26 and forms an interengaging means between the pump body and the pedestals, which serves two purposes: in the first place, any longitudinal expansion of the pump body relative to the pedestals must take I pedestals, I provide primary and secondary expansion-permitting means indicated respectively by the numerals 40 and 41. The primary means of this group comprises studs 42 threaded into the pedestal 28 and extending upward through circular openings 43 formed in the set of arms 33, these studs having conventional nuts 44 and lock-washers 45, whereby the head 14 and the pedestal 28 are attached together. The openings 43 are slightly larger in diameter than the studs 42 so as to permit a limited transverse expansion of the head relative to the pedestal; This lateral expansion is ordinarily small, but must be equally compensated for on both sides of the axis of the shaft in order that this axis be not thrown out of alignment with the prime mover. This equal expansion is insured by the inter-engaging means defined by the fin-and-groove arrangement, best illustrated in Fig. 4.

Due to the fact that the openings 43 are only slightly larger than the studs42, it follows that substantiallyno longitudinal expansion canbe compensated for bythe primary' expansion-permitting means 40. Instead, this longitudinal expansion is preferably taken care of by the secondary means 41, this means providing studs 50 extending upward through longitudinally elongated openings 51 formed through the set of arms 34.- The transverse dimension of these elongated openings is only slightly greater than the diameter of the studs 50, but'the longitudinal dimension is considerably in excess of this diameter, as best shown in Fig. 3. Thus, the head 14 is held relatively stationary, and the longitudinal expansion of the pump unit is compensated for almost entirely by the secondary expansion-permitting means 41. This longitudinal expansion is ordinarily many times larger than the transverse expansion due tothe relatively large length of the pump unit 10 compared to the transverse distance between the studs 42 or the studs 50. The fin-and-groove arrangement between the secondary pedestal 29 and-the head 13 insures equal lateral expansion on each side of the shaft 20, as previously described with relation to the primary pedestal.

In some instances I have found it desirable to cool the pedestals 28 and 29 by means of an external fluid such as water, and for this purpose I have shown these pedestals as being hollow in a manner to provide chambers 60 therein into which water may be introduced through a forked intake pipe 61 and from which water may be withdrawn through a discharge pipe 62. By maintaining a continuous circulation through the chambers 60 the pedestals are kept cooled, and there is no tendency for the axis of the shaft 20 to be displaced due to an expansion of these pedestals.

Any suitable means of mounting the pedestals may be utilized, the form shown'in Fig. 1 providing a sub-base 63 to which the pedestals are secured by bolts 64. Obviously, the pedestals 'may be cast integrally with the sub-base 63 or may be secured directly to a suitable foundation without departing from the spirit of my invention.

' In Figs. 5 to 8 I have illustrated primary and secondary pedestals '70 and 71 which are cast integrally with the sub-base 72, and have also illustrated a split-shell construction for the pump unit, this unit comprising a lower member 73 closed by an upper member 74. My invention obviously is not limited to a construction such as shown in Fig. 1 wherein separate heads are provided for the pump unit, and in Fig. 5 1

have illustrated a unitary construction wherein the lower member 73 has outward extending sets of arms 78 and 79 suitably secured to the pedestals 70 and 71 by expansion-permitting means similar to those previously described, and as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Also formed integrally with the lower member 73 are the bearing housings 80 and 81. A fin 82 extends downward from the pump body composed of the lower and upper members 73 and 74 and engages in a groove 83 in a manner previously described.

The pedestals 70 and 71, shown in Fig. 5, are not water-cooled, but are preferably formed hollow as best shown in Fig. 6 so as to provide chambers having free access to the surrounding air through openings 91 and being cooled by the surrounding medium rather than by a cooling medium circulated internally therethrough.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a centrifugal pump the combination of: a massive cylindrical shell of substantially uniform wall thickness; primary and secondary heads detachably secured-to the ends of said cylindrical shell, each of said heads including.

ing supporting surfaces for supporting said engaging surfaces; primary inter-engaging means acting between said primary pedestal and'said primary head; secondary inter-engaging means acting between said secondary pedestal and said secondary head; means on opposite sides of said primary inter-engaging means for securing said primary pedestal and said primary head together to permit a small amount of transverse expansive movement therebetween, but precluding any large longitudinal movement therebetween; and means on opposite sides of said secondary interengaging means for securing said secondary pedestal to said secondary head to permit a small amount of transverse expansive movement therebetween and to permit a relatively large amount of longitudinal movement therebetween.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said pedestals are hollow, and including means for forcing a cooling medium through said pedestals whereby no expansion thereof takes place to cause disalignment of said engaging surfaces and a consequent disalignment of said shaft.

3. In a centrifugal pump the combination of: a pump unit; primary and secondary heads secured to the ends of said pump 'unit, each head providing a pair of arms; a shaft extending into said pump unit through said heads; a primary U--shaped pedestal in supporting relationship with said arms of said primary head; inter-engaging means acting between said primary pedestal and said primary head for maintaining the axis of said shaft in a fixed vertical plane; bolts extending through openings in said arms of said primary head and secured to said primary pedestal, said openings being slightly larger than said bolts to permit a slight amount of transverse movement of said arms relative to said primary pedestal, but not being large enough to permit any large longitudinal movement therebetween; a secondary U-shaped pedestal in supporting relationship with said arms of said secondary head; inter-engaging means actinz between said secondary'head and said secondary pedestal for determining the direction of longitudinal expansive movement and maintaining the axis of said shaft in a fixed vertical plane; and bolts extending through elongated openings in said arms of said secondary head and secured to said secondary pedestal, said openings being only slightly larger in width than the diameter of said bolts to permit a slight amount of transverse movement of said arms relative to said secondary pedestal, and being materially elongated to permit longitudinal expansion of said pump unit relative to said secondary pedestal.

4. In combination in a system for providing a uniform support for a hot-liquid centrifugal pump to prevent disalignment of the parts of said pump or disalignment of said pump with a prime mover: an enclosing structure comprising a massive one-piece cylindrical shell and removable heads closing the ends of said cylindrical shell; a bearing secured to the outer end of each of said removable heads; a shaft extending through said enclosing structure and journalled in said bearings; impellers on said shaft in said enclosing structure; a pedestal at each end of said enclosing structure but spaced inward from said bearings whereby said bearings overhang aid pedestals and are not in physical contact therewith, each of said pedestals comprising a pair of upward extending portions providing supporting surfaces disposed at substantially the same level as said shaft and positioned on opposite sides of said shaft; a pair of arms extending outward from each end of said enclosing structure each arm providing an engaging surface slidably engaging-one of said supporting surfaces whereby said enclosing structure, said heads, im-

nal movement at said last-named end to prevent disalignment of said shaft and said prime mover. I

5. In a hot-liquid centrifugal pump, the combination of an enclosing structure comprising a massive cylindrical shell of substantially uniform wall thickness and removable heads closing the ends of said cylindrical shell; impellers inside said cylindrical shell; a shaft extending axially through said cylindrical shell and said heads and outer end of each of said heads and secured thereto for journalling said shaft; a pair of arms extending outward from each end of said enclosing structure and providing engaging surfaces lying near the horizontal plane passing through the axis of said shaft; a pedestal at one end of said enclosing structure and including upward extending portions providing a pair of supporting surfaces engaging said engaging surfaces of one of said pairs of arms; a pedestal at the other end of said enclosing structure and including upward extending portions providing a pair of supporting surfaces slidably engaging said engaging surfaces of the other of said pairs of arms whereby longitudinal expansive movement of said enclosing structure relative to said last-named pedestal may take place; guide means for controlling the direction of said longitudinal movement, said supporting surfaces supporting the entire weight of said enclosing structure and said bearings; expansionpermitting means cooperating between said firstnamed, pedestal and its corresponding arms for preventing any longitudinal movement therebetween yet allowing for lateral expansion therebetween, said means securing said first-named pedestal and the corresponding arms together; and expansion-permitting means cooperating between the other pedestal and its corresponding arms for securing these together and permitting a small amount of lateral expansion therebetweenand a large amount of longitudinal expansion therebetween.

6. In a hot-oil centrifugal pump adapted to be driven by a prime mover, the combination of; a pump body including a massive one-piece cylindrical shell closed at its ends by head means; a shaft extending through said pump body and drivably connected to said prime mover; means in said pump body and driven by said shaft for circulating an extremely hot oil therethrough; pedestals positioned on opposite ends of said pump body and providing supporting surfaces on which said pump body movably rests to compensate for expansion of said pump body relative to said pedestals; means for controlling the direction along which said'expansion takes place to maintain said shaft in correct alignment with said prime mover; and means for passing a cooling medium in cooling relationship with said pedestals to prevent-such expanson thereof as would vertically disalign said shaft and said prime mover.

GEORGE E. BIGELOW. 

